**(If you are coming from our newsletter feel free to skip down to just after the first link. If you would like to get updates from us via the newsletter connect with us on facebook or send us an email at aimjustice.id@gmail.com)**
The culture
Cultural Idiosyncrasies and Observations
After a number of flights and some drama at the airport, we arrived in the “land of the morning calm” (aka Korea). These past two weeks since entering the country have been abuzz with activities, learning, and adaptation. We have made note of a few of our observations and idiosyncrasies from our outside perspectives.
First, color pollution, as Elinis calls it, is a real thing here. Everywhere you look there seem to be lights and signs of many different colors and messages. Sides of buildings are covered with illuminated messages for various products, restaurants, hotels, cosmetics, etc. Even watching television, a variety of shows are layered with added emoji type graphics that are meant to add quality and enrich viewership. All of that being said, despite the many vibrant colors across the city it does appear that people tend to choose simple colors to dress themselves. Individuals do not seem to dress elaborately by using extreme or “loud” colors from the color wheel.
Another one of the first observations we made was that of the clean streets. The Korean people seem to take very seriously the task or keeping trash and litter off of the roadways. It is hard to find misplaced trash on the sidewalk or in an alleyway if you looked for it. Throughout the day men can be seen walking the streets and sidewalks with dustpans cleaning the way for passers-by.
I personally feel a sense of respect and contentment (for lack of a better word) for the way that the people here look after what they have. We have walked down some very old city streets and although you can tell the buildings are old the environment seems to be well taken care of and in good repair.
Despite the clean roads and cleanly work ethic, the city as a whole is covered by a thick coat of smog (fog of pollution). It seems that the quick industrialization of the country over the past fifty years has left a mark on the land here. It is interesting because you can never really understand a culture or people without living with them. As people on the outside of a culture, we can make judgments on a people group based upon our own beliefs about their reality but a conversation or living with them can quickly put those judgments at bay. For example, often people wonder why Korean people wear masks or use umbrellas during the rainy seasons. Well, there are logical answers to both of these observations.
Masks keep the pollution from being inhaled, which can cause some people respiratory problems and breathing difficulties while the umbrellas keep the pollution from the rain off of the body. Both answers seem much more logical once you experience a few days in the country.
There are a number of other points we had to learn upon our arrival. Many Koreans can speak English well. We have been lost on numerous occasions and have fairly easily found people to get us back on track. People here tend to park on the rather large sidewalks all throughout the city. People drive mopeds on the sidewalks. Also, if coffee is not your favorite beverage it might just be by the time you leave this place because Seoul is, and I do not think I am exaggerating here, covered with coffee shops and cafes. Sometimes from one coffee shop, you can see two or three others down the street.
Since we do not have cell phone service here coffee shops and cafes have become little pockets of hope and direction for us as we often use the complimentary WiFi to find directions and reorient ourselves. We have been looking into getting a temporary data plan but, as of now, the options we have found seem to be complicated and cumbersome to set up. That being said, we are keeping a lookout for wifi/cell phone options.
As we have been traveling around this country (via Coffee shops) one thing that has completely surprised us is the incredibly low crime rate here in Korea. Thrift is incredibly low. Some individuals will leave there mopeds running outside a store while going inside to get something; while others leave their laptops setting on a coffee shop table while they take a run to the bathroom. Statistically, in comparison crime rates are double and triple in the United States vs. South Korea. Murder rates are low, violent crimes are low, total crime is low…Korea is safe. Check out the link below for more stats and information.
(https://www.nationmaster.com/country-info/compare/South-Korea/United-States/Crime)
Although crimes against others are incredibly low there is one form of criminal activity that is on the rise and is devastating this country and its culture. Suicide. Although crimes against others are unprecedentedly low crimes against oneself is at a staggering level. This is what we understand so far (short version – Read articles below for more information)…over the past few decades, Korea has gone from one of the poorest countries on the earth to one of the most prosperous. As the country has modernized the pressures for children to reach ever-increasing societal standards has reached unreachable expectations. When the country was still poor people were trained to look at other families as competition to get a good job. This mentality of competition made people fight to get educated and build their resumes. This thinking has been handed down the generations from parents to children and the stress to perform is continuing its ugly cycle of destroying youth and robbing people of hope. Combined with the high standards from parents seems to be the cultures insanely high standards for oneself. The culture here is permeated with the idea that “you have to be better than who you are.” Beauty, for example, is something unattainable. They believe that the eyes that are the most beautiful are round eyes (caucasian eyes) so they have surgery to make their eyes more round. They believe that they have to be thin to be attractive so they do not eat and the culture lets them know it if they do not fit or reach their expectations. It is not unusual to see ladies walking down the street with bandages on their faces. Although I mentioned body image as an example, there are also other areas of high expectation I could mention, such as education and productiveness, which are wreaking havoc on society. We were told by a person of Korean descent that the expectations placed on a Korean youth are “200” times what is placed on the normal western adolescent. These high societal expectations combined with parents standards end up suffocating this countries youth from love and affection which shows up in these statistics of suicide.
(More info in links below)
(http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190501000216)
(http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/suicide-rate-by-country/)
That same mentality of competition and comparison has also made its way into the church. Now Korea has some of the worlds biggest churches and God is doing great things here, but that being said, people here can easily become legalistic in the “do’s” and “don’ts.” There have been scandals in the churches to the point that some of the unbelievers here have nicknamed the church “dog church” (which in the language is a simple play on words from the original).
Ultimately Korea is an amazing place. It is home to a flourishing economy, a safe environment, a huge church, great hospitality, a rich history and heritage and some of the most welcoming and gentle people on the planet! Like any landmass across this planet that is inhabited by mankind Korea has its struggles. It is a country which has and is dealing with difficult issues, but we believe that God is for Korea and look forward to all that He has for this incredible country. May Jesus heal this land, may He heal its relationship with North Korea, and may God bless this beautiful country of Korea.
Care. Equip. Share. 